Comments

pkrsbrgh

what does this say about our society when a portion of the country wants to institute costly armed guards and train principles in marksmanship - at a time when schools are cutting essential programs and reducing teachers numbers.

DisturbedAgain

I just don't understand the priorities society has now. We continually hear about education lacking behind other nations and we reduce the availability of education to our youth. A perfect example would be the incident with the kid in the fort, if we would stop cutting positions, we may have slightly smaller class sizes and a teacher may have had the time to handle the situation differently.

With the amount of taxes a working person pays continually rising, why do we consistently reduce the funds for education. We should be forcing our elected leaders to reduce different entities and leave education alone.

janeeyre1

I don't agree with the cutting of vital positions. But instead of getting mad at the school system we should be angry at parents like Beth Dean. How much did her drama spasm cost-and continue to cost when the lawyers are done- tax payers? It's because of parents like her who fill their kids full of drugs that no one is sure what the side effects will be-dump them off at school-and run to facebook and the press demanding they get attention and compensation when their kids cause a rucuss-or as in other cases-bring fire arms to school. Because of these "special needs" kids and all their expensive IEP's now we have to have armed guards at schools, teachers must be trianed in markesmanship and councelors must be kept on staff to keep and eye out for potential time bombs? So before anyone gets mad at the Wood County School System they should first point their fingers at the parents who have encouraged and supported this insanity.

janeeyre1

I wish everyone knew just exactly how much just one of these IEP kids cost taxpayers and the school system every year. Maybe if people started asking asking such questions-instead of bowing down to these kids parents drama fueled-and so unrealistic-demands this situation would change.

seleah

I am the Mama of one of "these IEP kids". My child has had an IEP since kindegarten, and is now a sophomore in high school. As a result of extreme prematurity, he receives physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. These therapies are provided by the school system, but are paid for by OUR health insurance. My son is not a behavioral problem. I have had teachers tell me many times that they wish more students were like him. He is polite, respectful and works hard. Real hard. 150% hard. He has to. When Friday night rolls around, instead of attending a football game or going to the movies, he comes home to take a long nap. He is so worn out from school. He never complains and is thankful, as are we, for the help he has received over the years to become a successful student. He is on grade level, brings home good grades, and is ready to start visiting prospective colleges, thanks in part to his IEP. As his Mama, there is no price on that.

Mack76

Seleah, pay no mind to Janeeyre...she has a bad habit of spouting off about things (particularly IEPs and parents "doping up" their kids) about which she knows very little. It's become commonplace. Evidently, she didn't read the article to see what the basis was of the position cut.

janeeyre1

WOW! We really need to thank all the doctors, therapists, counselors and parents -and especially their lawyers-of IEP/Special Needs Kids for what they have done to our school systems. Because of their demands for special attention and treatment-kids without IEP's or special needs must suffer, loose teachers, after school programs and activities to satisfy the whims of these select few. Now in order to meet the demands of these special needs kids and their parents these -I guess you can call them "non-special needs kids" will have to work harder, do better and make due so their school's can take away from them in order to compete for funding by meeting the demands of the IEP Community! What a bunch of crap!

Mack76

You are just LOOKING for a reason to crucify any parent of any child with an IEP or special needs. Get off your freaking high horse. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!! Nowhere in this article is any of that even MENTIONED, and yet you still feel some sort of pathological urge to associate these cuts with IEPs and special needs kids. You are seriously warped, and you should seek psychological help to deal with that obsessive, compulsive behavior IMMEDIATELY. It's not the kids with IEPs or special needs with the actual problems, it's YOU! Get over yourself!

Mack76

Yesterday it was the truancy article, and all of a sudden you speculate that ALL of those truants must be getting doped up by their parents. Today it's faculty and staff cuts, which surprise! happens in one fashion or another almost every year, and now it's IEP/special needs kids. You are unbelievable.

janeeyre1

WOW Mack76-if I am so uninformed and my opinions are so wrong then why are you getting so angry? I was always told that if you share an opinion and it makes someone angry then it's because they know-but cannot damit-that you are right! There is clearly a connection between all these school related issues! ps-the majority of my information comes directly from people who teach in the public school system.

Mack76

Your ignorance infuriates me, I don't think for a second you're right about anything. And ANYONE can say "my information comes from so and so"...doesn't mean jack squat to me. Try having some actual EXPERIENCE, or try talking to people who actually WORK in the field of IEPs and special needs. Contact the ARC or Birth to Three, or I don't know, THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPT, and get some answers there. These staff cuts occur in one fashion or another every year, and you are bloodthirsty to attach EVERYTHING school-related to kids on medication or kids on IEPs with very little, if any information. And yes, I'm angry, but the bottom line is, you attack my kid, even in a general sense, and my class will come out... especially when you have absolutely nothing to back it up besides the obtuse "oh, well, someone told me..." Puh-leeze.

Mack76

And for the record, I don't think anyone agrees with the cutting of vital positions. It hurts the school and the kids overall. But to associate those cuts with children who need and are guaranteed by law special education is asinine and offensive. Then to say something as outrageous as "we need armed guards because of these IEP/special needs kids" (just to paraphrase) shows absolute ignorance and a jump to generalize. That's ridiculous. Did it ever occur to you that "gifted" kids also have IEPs?? The Unabomber was a genius... let's just put all the smart kids out of our schools too! That's progressive thinking for ya! Unbelievable.

MadAsHeck

This nation has done nothing but PUMP endless money into the public education system. All the while, the quality of education has gone DOWN (statistical fact). So, it's silly to assume that more money = better education and that less money = worse education. Countless many of the "greatest generation ever" (WWII folks) were educated in one room school houses and countless numbers never went beyond the 8th grade.

janeeyre1

Meeting the ever increasing needs of special needs/IEP kids -and demanding that teachers have additional training -including markesmenship skills-to deal with these children -some of which has evolved into incidents like the one at Sandy Hook-has put a tremendous drain on our public school system. Disagree with me all you want but this is the fact of the matter. That money that is being forced to help special needs kids has to come from somwehere. It's coming by taking away jobs in the school system and taking away from kids without special needs to give to those with...Disagree with mall you want but I think that is SO wrong.

Mack76

Now the teachers are required to have marksmanship skills to deal with special needs kids... LMBO. THAT'S RICH. The bottom line is, it's a PUBLIC school system and any child attending a PUBLIC school system is guaranteed BY LAW an education. You're on a witch hunt. Let's completely ignore the fact that Parkersburg has lost 8% of its population, which definitely contributes to a decrease in taxes, which fund this PUBLIC education. According to your ridiculous diatribe, special needs/IEP kids are the only contributing factor. EVERY child has a right to an education, and some require special provisions to achieve this education...that's just the way it is. You have a problem with that, take it to you elected representatives. Hanging out the parents of the kids, and the kids themselves, who receive special education is absurd. Children receiving these services have different, respective issues which make these services necessary. End of story.

Mack76

Children that are blind, deaf, mute, paraplegic, quadriplegic, dyslexic, and yes, even the ones with the disorders you think are "invented" such as autism or ADHD, as well as the "gifted" kids, are ALL IEP children. ALL of them. Your constant attempts to pigeon-hole anyone with an IEP and categorize them as if they're all "problem children" or a burden to society does nothing but show you as heartless, uneducated, unenlightened, and downright dense.

janeeyre1

Mack76, for someone who claims to be a caring parent your are setting a horrible example. You are telling your child that if you disagree with someone it's OK to call them names and insult their intellegence. How very mature of you. I have no problem with kids with special needs getting the help and education they need. However I do have a problem when their needs become more important than those of kids without special needs and essentially take away from their educational experience-which is exactly what's happeneing in our public school systems-too many parents who take the stand that "If kids without special needs have to make compromises or sacrifices to make my child with special needs life easier than too bad for them."

Mack76

Don't worry about the example I'm setting for my children. They are sensitive, intelligent, compassionate people, just like their mother. It's not I who was suggesting that we need armed guards and our teachers need marksmanship skills to "deal" with our special needs/IEP kids, that was you. Nobody ever suggested that children who don't have special needs must be losing out, except you. If you are offended by what I have said, so be it. I could care less. But if the shoe fits, wear it and start strutting sweetheart. You're the one displaying your ignorance here, and what you've gotten is my reaction to it. S.u.c.k it up, princess.

cindyk

I am the proud mother of three children educated in Wood county. None of them are special needs, but I have friends with special needs children. I jane never has children or grandchildren that needs special attention. You really ought to go sit in a special needs class. My youngest son did his community service in special needs classes. He befriended a severely handicapped young man sitting by himself in the lunchroom, and became friends with this kid. He worked in his special needs class and to this day, if he sees this young man, this kid lights up like a candle. If special education can make a difference for special needs children, who are you to judge.

Mack76

And for God's sake, don't backpedal now. OWN what you've said, dear. Yesterday you were spouting off about how autism and ADHD have been invented by lazy parents who don't want to manage their children and opportunistic doctors... heck, you've done the exact same thing on this thread: janeeyre1 Jan-31-13 9:25 AM Agree | Disagree

WOW! We really need to thank all the doctors, therapists, counselors and parents -and especially their lawyers-of IEP/Special Needs Kids for what they have done to our school systems. So don't BS me with your PC garbage now. I'm not buying it.

Valhalla

i think it is clear to all of us that the education system is busted. i know less staff is certainly not the answer but since i have no ideas to offer i accept the budget reasons for this. i have no idea how this article has turned into the heated debate in this forum about disorders and doctors perscribing drugs. some people seem to have a go to default position when it comes to education discussions rather than rational thought taking precedence. i do not have a medical degree and i did not spend 8 years of my life learning in great detail the art of medicine so i defer to the people that have. i do not repeat what i have "heard" about these things and immediately start trashing the proffesionals who take an oath to do no harm. nor do i accuse them of malpractice in order to line their pockets. i believe they make enough $ without having to do that. if your beef is with pharm. reps then do something about it unless you would rather just talk about it